Essay On Costuming In Julie Taymor's Titus

Messages Through Costuming in Julie Taymor’s Titus
The first thing that we, as humans, notice about another person's appearance. Often, after an appearance is noted, a judgement of the individual comes to mind. Therefore, in every portrayal of a dramatic piece, the director must make certain choices that will affect how the audience views his or her cast. Audience members are often able to see who is the hero, who is the villain, where true power lies, and other major characteristics of both the play and the characters. Julie Taymor provides an effective subtext within her film Titus by detailing the choices in costuming for characters, which is made especially prevalent through both Saturninus and Tamora.
One of the most heavily costumed characters in the film is Saturninus, the first born son of the recently deceased emperor, and active emperor throughout the majority of the story line. Reflecting upon his costuming, it becomes clear that a color
Discounting her first appearance, in which she is dirty and obviously ravaged from war, she only appears in one other color during her time on screen- a blood red similar to that of Saturninus'. However, this red signifies not only her bloodthirsty nature, but also her lust for Aaron, as she wears a red outfit during the hunt, in a scene much like Shakespeare's Act II, scene III. Besides this, her wearing of black and gold provides a menacing tone to her presence. Tamora, played by Jessica Lange, is powerful-- more powerful even than Saturninus, who merely has gold accessories. Her power and sexuality is made very clear in the opening scene, in which she discards her cloak to reveal a detailed breastplate. Through these elements of character, she is able to further assert herself in the story, manipulating those around her in order to get what she